Syria Renews Call to End to U.S.-Led War

Published 7:00 pm, Monday, March 24, 2003

Hundreds of thousands of people protested the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq _ some burning American and British flags in the streets _ in the Mideast's largest organized protests since the war in Iraq began.

As protesters burned U.S. and British flags in Damascus, the Syrian government denounced the invasion as "unjustified aggression and a blatant violation of international laws."

Following a Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa Miro renewed Syria's call for "the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of U.S. and British invading troops from Iraqi territory," the official Syrian news agency said.

Anti-war demonstrations have been taking place daily in Damascus and many other Arab capitals since the beginning of the war, but Tuesday's protest appeared to be the largest.

Schools, universities and official government institutions closed in Damascus while an estimated 500,000 protested in the streets, holding banners that read "Stop this war" and labeling the American and British leaders "international terrorists."

In the Libyan capital of Tripoli, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators chanted anti-American slogans as they marched to the Iraqi Embassy. Libyan authorities reinforced security around the Kuwaiti, Saudi, British, and U.N. diplomatic offices ahead of the march.

In Lebanon, more than 10,000 people, mainly from leftist parties and supporters of the militant Hezbollah group, demonstrated under rain outside the United Nations House in downtown Beirut.

The demonstrators tried to storm the British Embassy but were pushed back by riot police with batons, water cannons and tear gas.

Six people were injured, including two policemen and one Lebanese reporter who was hit by a stone on the head.